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Chafa vs viu: catalog facts
Chafa	viu
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Renders animations as well as static images directly in the terminal Open source and actively used as a building block by other terminal tools	Native protocol support for iTerm and Kitty gives sharper image rendering than plain ASCII Written in Rust, so it is fast and has a small footprint
Output quality depends heavily on the terminal emulator's color and font support No native Windows build listed	Best image quality depends on using a terminal that supports its native protocols Command-line only, aimed at developers comfortable with a terminal
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.